A Key Component for the Raiders This Season

"It's a really big deal. We've had some stumbles along the way, but it hasn't been something that's consistently showing up. We missed a call here, we blew a look one time or another here, we had the big touchdown play against Seattle, we totally screwed that up in the huddle and from at the line of scrimmage. Just gave him a touchdown," Carroll said.

"But it is not like pervasive. We don't have any problems with it. We just need to keep doing it. And the conversation that they have back there gives the guy next to them confidence that he right and he doesn't have to be second thinking, am I right? Am I doing the right thing? What am I supposed to be doing here? That's what the communication allows us to get to that confidence level so we can execute really well."

Following training camp, veteran linebacker Elandon Roberts explained how the communication is coming along between he and his teammates. The Raiders' defense added several new pieces during the offseason, including Roberts.

Proper communication will help Roberts and his teammates shorten the learning curve that naturally comes with the number of changes the Raiders' defense has experienced over the past few months.

"I think communication, from a defensive standpoint, I know a lot of people like to come in every season and be like, 'Oh, our communication is right where it needs to be. Our communication is great and whatnot.' But week to week, we have to be able to grow communication wise. And that's even going to be all the way into the season," Roberts said.

"When you really want your communication at a height is in the fourth quarter of the season because by that point, you've seen it all, so you know from a backer, from a safety standpoint, 'Hey, look, we've been getting a lot of this. Hey, teams have been attacking us this way,' because it's a copycat league.

"So one team attacks you a certain way, and they have success, the other team's going to do it. So then the next week, we need to heighten that communication from that standpoint. So that's why I always say real football doesn't really start until after Thanksgiving because that's when you've seen it all, and you need to make sure your defense is on the height of the communication standpoint of it." 

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